Great weekend for Roush Yates with 3 wins and 3 Ford Chase contenders

Carl Edwards on Sprint Cup, Brad Keselowski on Nationwide and Ross Chastain on Camping World Truck.

Mooresville, NC - Carl Edwards earned his second win of the season Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway in the Federated Auto Parts 400. After seizing the lead from Paul Menard with three laps remaining, Edwards held off Kurt Busch at the finish line by just .668 seconds to capture Ford’s fifth win of the season.

He had already clinched a berth in the Chase for the Sprint Cup entering Saturday’s race but is feeling even more confident about his Championship hopes after earning his 21st career victory.

Carl Edwards, Roush Fenway Racing Ford takes the win

Photo by: Getty Images

“We are going to win the championship,” stated Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Kellogg’s Ford Fusion for Roush Fenway Racing. “That’s our mission. Everyone back at the shop, all the guys building these cars and engines, all of our Ford teammates – all the Penske guys – everyone has rallied together. The next 10 weeks, we’re going to run them hard. They’re going to know we’re here.”

Edwards’ win propelled fellow Ford driver Joey Logano into the Chase for the first time in his career.

“We are in. It feels great,” said Logano, driver of the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford Fusion for Penske Racing. “It feels good to put one of these chase hats on and we can regroup and go for the Championship now.

It is a big accomplishment. Once you are in it doesn’t mean you are done. I want to try to go for it. I have 100 percent confidence in this team to make it happen.”

Edwards left Saturday night’s race on top of the Championship leaderboard and will be seeded in fifth for next week’s race at Chicagoland Speedway. Roush Fenway driver Greg Biffle also made the chase, putting three Fords in contention for the 2013 Sprint Cup Championship.

Brad Keselowski gave Penske Racing an astounding 10th win of the season in the NASCAR Nationwide Series on Friday night at Richmond. Keselowski passed Brian Scott on the second-to-last restart with 11 laps to go and survived a seventh caution and a final restart to win the Virginia 529 College Savings 250. Brian Scott led the first 239 of 250 laps before Keselowski grabbed the lead and beat him to the finish line by 1.946 seconds.

“We restarted seventh with 60 or 70 to go and got up to second or third there and then had a couple other restarts from third to second and then second to first,” said Keselowski, who also won at Richmond International Raceway in April. “It all came together for us. The big thing was having the car to do that the last few runs.”

Four different drivers have accounted for Penske Racing’s ten wins this season with Keselowski winning five, Joey Logano winning two, AJ Allmendinger winning two, and Sam Hornish Jr. winning one. Hornish finished sixth Friday night and expanded his points lead in the NASCAR Nationwide Championship to 16 over Austin Dillon with just eight races remaining.

Grant Enfinger and Team BCR Racing and Development captured their second win of the season in the ARCA series Sunday at Iowa Speedway. After qualifying tenth, Enfinger led from lap 90 to 111. With just six laps remaining, he passed rookie driver Kyle Weatherman and held on for the victory.

“We made a ton of changes during practice and qualifying but we knew we had a great car going into the race,” said Enfinger, driver of the No. 90 Motor Honey/Casite, American Hammered Ford Fusion. “Our pit crew was amazing this weekend as well, helping me gain four positions in one pit stop. I can’t thank Howard Bixman for all he does along with everyone at Team BCR enough for helping me achieve my second win this season. This is the best equipment I’ve ever driven and this second victory shows that.”

“This is the car we took to Victory Lane earlier this year in Mobile with Grant,” said Howard Bixman, Team Manager/Crew Chief for Team BCR. “I have to say we’re not a big team or a big named team. We’re the guys at the far end of the garage. But I can say this, our crew has the drive, heart, and that “never give up” attitude. I’m very proud of this team and Grant for all their dedication and effort.”